Diving apparatus.



ATHANASIOS PPANASTASIOU, OF EAST PITTSBURGH, PENSYLVANIA.

DIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

Application led July 15, 1916. Serial No. 109,587. i

To all whom z' may concern:

Beit known that I, ATHANAsIos PAPA- NAsTAsroU,' subject of the King of Greece, residing at East Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State 'of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has relation tov diving apparatus and as its primary object contemplates the provision of a novel and improved housing wherein av circulation of air may he maintained; thus enabling the divers or other occupants thereof to remove their diving helmets with safety during the resting periods.

As a furtherobject the invention aims to rovide a novel arrangement wherebv the air within the. housing or shell may be kept in a purified condition at all times thereby insuring safety to the occupants and novel means to selectively control the admission of such purified air into the several independent compartments.

AA still further object of the invention resides in the provision of an ingress and egress compartn'ient such as will permit the ingress or egress` of the divers to the resting con'ipartment in such manner as to preclude the entrance of water into the latter compartment.

Another object is to provide novel means whereby the divers may reach the bottom of the sca from `the shell or housing either when the housing' is resting upon the bottom or when conditions render it impractical to allow the same to assume such a position. y'

Al yet fin-ther object is to provide for the propel' distribution of air to the divers helmets and to maintain a circulation of air throughout the interior of the diving suits such as will not only aidin the maintenance of the divers in a healthy condition but moreover act as a warming medium when the sea' is extremely cold. f

Although my invention is primarily designed to 'be used in connection with the gathering of Sponges and the like it is to be' understood. that I am not limited in this respect since the device may be used advantageously in subterranean operations of various different sources.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent during the continuance of the following description.

4These objects are accomplished by such Astan means as are shown in their preferred form in the accompanying drawings, described in the' following specification and then more specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like parts throughout the several views Figure 1 1s a view 1n crosssection illustra-ting the shell or housing of my invention .as submerged,

Fig. 2 is a view inside elevation of a diving suit showing in conjunction therewith the means for introducing air into the helmet and distributing air by means of another conduit about the body of the diver,

Fig. 3 is a view showing in detail the double door arrangement which I have adopted as the preferred form of my invention.

In its presentembodiment my invention consists of an outer shell 10 which forms the main housing and an inner shell 11 which is generally utilized as a purifying chamber,

means such as indicated by the numeral 12 being positioned on the outer shell 10 whereby the entire structure may be raised or lowered and other means as indicated at 13 'depending from the outer shell to form a supporting stand as shown in Fig. l. It is arbitrary as to the material used in the construction ofthe outer and inner shell. However the terrific pressure prevalent at the vgreat depths under the surface of the sea render it advisable to use a stout metal for this urpose.

Likewise it is advisable to construct the stand 13 'of a strong and durable metal. In the` resent embodiment I haveshown this of skeleton construction, the same comprising a series of angle bars and knee l braces yet it 'is to be borne in mind that this construction is not final and that it may be 1, such railings preventing the accidentalv falling of the divers from the platforms as is obvious. The lower platform is equipped with depending ladders' 19 and 2O whereby when the supporting stand 13 is resting on the bottom the divers may descend. Howloo ilioever as above intimated inasmuch as conditions often render it impractical to allow the housing to, rest upon the bottom I also provide meanswhereby the divers may descend under those conditions.

With'the above'fend inview I equip the lower platform 14 with'a pivoted ladder- 21,

as at 22 and,` in turn,v provide a second ladder 23 whichhas pivotal. connections with the first ladderas at 24..l Ithen provide one of the braces 16 with a bracket 25, the latter carrying a pulley 26 about-.which is trained ya cable 27 whose Vone end is connected with the free end of the ladder 23. The other end of the cable 27 is wound about a wind-v housing. y

Entrance'may beA had into the outer shell by way of the kdouble doors 30 and` 31; one door' opening outwardly and the other door opening inwardly and likewise access may be hadto the inner shell by way of the doors 32 and 33. Aladder 34 is positioned within the outer shell'lO adjacentthe doors 30 and 31 which leads to an upper compartment A so that the divers may reach the compartment quickly and easily." A partition 35 and another partition 36" aid in the formation of other compartments-B and C, entrance being had between4 compartments A and B by means ofdoors 37 and 38-while a trap door 39 controls communication between compartments BraiidC.

Compartmentl C which forms the ingress and egress chamber has'an outlet through the doors 40-and 4'1 anda ladder 42 leads from the opening-'43 in the partition 36 to a point in proximitytothe doors 40 and 41 whereby the divers may readily pass therethrough When the apparatus is submerged compartment C is filled with water as is the space betweendoors 40 and 41.

On one side of the shell 10 and preferably adjacent the compartment C I provide a bulk head 44 so as-to neutralize the weight of thev apparatus when the compartment C is filled with water. A tube 45 extends upwardly from the bulk head 44, carrying at its upper end a cover 46, and through this tube the main air supply hose 47 extends.

Hose 47 is introduced into compartment B through the way 48 and it is there connected with an auxiliary ypump 49. Communication between the tube 45 and compartment B may be had by way of doors 50 and 51 so that if occasion should require the divers4 may enter the tube 45 and mount the ladder 52."

`Suitable ladders 53 and 54 lead from the partition36 to the doors 38 and 50 so as to provide means whereby ready ingress and egress maybe had to and from the coinpartment B.-

An air hose 55 extends from the auxiliary second air tube 57 extends from'the auxiliary pump to a point below the level of the water within the shell'11. The purified air from the interior of shell 11 may be introduced to compartments A and Bl by way of valve water in the shell A11 whereas the air entering the pump by way of supply tube 47 is pumped directly to the divers.

As illustrated in Fig. 2 tube 55 is equipped with a branch tube 62 w-hich enters the divers suit 63. That portion of the tube 62 which enters the divers suit is perforated as shown at 64 thereby supplying the air about the body ofthe d iversuch as will form a protection against cold.

In use, the divers enter the shell A before the latter is submerged by way of the doors 30 and 31 from whence they may enter either of the compartments A and B. The divers suits may be put on in either of the compartments and the helmets attached. The divers then enter compartment C by way of trap door 39 and inasmuch as the doors 40 and 41 are closed the water from compartment C will not enter compartment B. After pump -49 to the divers helmet 56 while a I entering compartment C the divers close the trap door 39 and they may then find egressfrom the compartment by way of doors 40 and 41. y

If the apparatus is to be used by a number of divers the dimensions of the shells are accordingly increased and it is to be understood that such changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention f compartment, said outer'shelll being divided into a series of independent compartments, one of said last mentioned compartments being normally filled with water, and means to maintain a continual circulation of air through the other compartments and pass the air through the l.water in said innen-shell whereby it will bel purified. y

3.. Inan'. apparatus of the character described ahousing including an outer and an inn'e'rshell,v said inner shell forming a water compartments,4 an upstanding tube carried-` by said outer shell, means whereby communication may be had between said tube and the interior ofsai'd outer shell, one of said compartmentsy bemg normally filled with Water, means to maintain a circulation of 10l air through the other compartments and said tube and pass the air through the water iny said inner shell and means to selectively dispense the air from'said inner shell to said, last mentioned compartment and said tube.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature 15 in presence of two witnesses.

ATHNASIOS PAPNA-STASIOU.

Witnesses: f a

SOTERIos N IonoL'soN, J. REAMY KELLY. 

